CHRISTIANITY: THE CHURCH - The function of leadership

EXPLORING CHRISTIANITY - THE CHURCH

THE BIBLE
Can we trust a book written 2000 years ago?

EYEWITNESS
Did the writers of the New Testament get their picture of Jesus right?

GOD - MAN
Is Jesus really God?

RESURRECTION
Did Jesus really rise from the dead?

RELIGIONS
With so many religions, why Christianity?

SUFFERING
If there is a God, why is there so much suffering?

TRINITY
Understanding the Trinity.

SCIENCE
The complementary nature of Science & Christianity.

FORGIVENESS
What it is and why it matters?

GUIDANCE
How does God guide?

REPENTANCE
What it is and why you can't get to heaven without it.

BORN AGAIN
What does it mean to be converted and born again?

SAVING FAITH
The kind of faith that will get you to heaven

ASSURANCE
Can I know for sure that I am going to heaven?

TRUTH
What is truth and does it matter?

MORALITY
Does it matter how we live? A Christian view of morality.

THE CHURCH
God's vision for his family, the Church. A call to the churches of the new millennium.

PURPOSE
How can I find a great purpose for living?

IDENTITY
Who am I; Finding my true identity as a human being and as a child of God.

SELF-ESTEEM
How can I feel good about my self? The Christian basis for proper sel-esteem.

LIFE AFTER DEATHChristianity's Hope & Challenge.

THE CROSS
Why did Jesus Die? What the Bible says about the Cross.

Grace
The importance of grace in the New Testament.

The function of leadership

The apostle Paul, probably the greatest builder of churches of all time, was very concerned that the churches he founded had good leadership. On his first missionary journey "Paul and Barnabas chose some of those who had faith in the Lord to be leaders for each of the churches" (Acts 14:23). His instructions to the church leaders at Ephesus on his last visit with them is reported in some detail (Acts 20:17-35). In his letters to Timothy and Titus, he enlarges on the character required of leaders, as does Peter (1 Peter 1:4). However, for the church to be a true community, modelling the kind of community that exists between members of the Trinity, it is important to note both the requirements and the limitations of leadership.

"It is instructive to notice how little the letters of the New Testament have to say either to or about leaders"

Leaving aside for a moment the so-called "Pastoral Epistles" (I and II Timothy and Titus), it is instructive to notice how little the letters of the New Testament have to say either to or about leaders. They are addressed to all the Christians in a given place. Paul does include "the bishops [or overseers] and deacons" together with the rest of the believers, in his opening address to the Christians at Philippi, but then he never refers to them again in the letter.

If ever a church needed strong leadership, it was the church at Corinth, which was beset by division and all kinds of problems. Yet Paul's first letter to them is not directed primarily to the leaders, but to the whole community. He does address qualities of leadership in chapters 3 and 4. He stresses their servant nature and that it is God's field and building they are working in (3:5-9). They will be tested at the judgement as to how well they have built on the only legitimate foundation, Jesus Christ (3:10-17). He mentions the stewardship nature of leadership (4:1-5) and the danger of putting leaders on a pedestal (4:6, 7). It is not their eloquence, but the evidence of God's power at work through their ministry that counts (4:19, 20).

However, the emphasis in this letter is on relationships (particularly chapters 11 to 14). He expects the ordinary church members to be mature enough to sort out their own problems and gives plenty of guidelines for doing so. His goal is for a community where everyone, with whatever gift they may have been given, is a fully functioning member. Paul's emphasis is on the common or shared responsibility of all for the life of the church, not with the responsibility of leadership. He does include apostles, prophets, teachers and administrators, along with others whom God has gifted in the church to enable it to function as a true community (12:28-31). However, this is within the context of a body where all are given gifts and ministries they are called on to exercise. Those who seem to be weaker are indispensable, the most insignificant are to be given greater honour, and they are encouraged to desire the most useful gifts (12:21-31). Every person is to serve with his or her specific gifts, and every person is to be served in his or her specific need. All is to be done with love (chapter 13).

A similar emphasis is found in his letter to the Romans. This letter is the most thorough explanation of what the gospel is all about in the New Testament. Paul mentions Phoebe, a "deacon" or "servant" from another church whom he had sent to Rome with a mission, in his list of over two dozen friends, relatives, and co-workers in chapter 16 (v. 1, 2). He also refers to a man and a woman he calls "apostles", probably in the broad sense of the term (v. 7). Apart from these, the only mention of leadership in the whole letter is in 12:6-8. Here he mentions leadership as one gift among many, but gives it no more importance than others. In addition, he mentions these gifts in a context where he says: "Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought" (v. 3) and, "in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others" (v. 5).

"It is through the dynamic interaction of the whole body that the Spirit manifests his presence"

Paul's letter to the Ephesians is even more significant. This letter is almost entirely devoted to teaching about the church in God's purposes. If there had been any particular system of governing structure that would have been valid for all churches, then this would have been the place to deal with it. However, the only mention of those in leadership positions is in chapter 4 where Paul speaks of apostles, prophets, evangelists and pastor-teachers as God's gift to his church. This mention of these persons occurs in the middle of a section that deals with unity and growth (Ephesians 4:1-15). It is noteworthy that the only function that Paul says they are to perform is to "prepare God's people for works of service"* that all may become mature (v. 13), and that "we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is , Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work" (v. 15, 16 - italics mine).

*The fact that this is only function of leaders mentioned in Ephesians, highlights the priority Paul gives to this area of ministry. Where the church is weak it is no doubt often due to the lack of effective leaders performing this service of equipping God's people for their ministry.

It is interesting that in this last verse, the words translated "held together by every supporting ligament" (New International Version) are, in the old Authorised Version, translated "compacted by that which every joint supplieth". (See also the Greek of Colossians 2:19). In this instance the AV is more accurate. The Expositor's Greek Testament says:

The idea, therefore, appears to be that the body is fitly framed and knit together by means of the joints, every one of them in its own place and function, as the points of connection between member and member and the points of communication between the different parts and the supply which come from the Head.

In other words, the point of entry of the supply of power from Christ and the Spirit, necessary for the effective functioning of the body, does not filter down through the leadership, but comes through the joints where the members rub up against one another! It is through the dynamic interaction of the whole body that the Spirit manifests his presence.

Elsewhere, elders are encouraged to have a nurturing or shepherding role (Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:1-3) with some emphasis on teaching (1 Timothy 5:17). However, it is interesting to note the number of times these functions are declared to be the responsibility of all the members. Some examples are:

"My friends, I am sure that you are very good and that you have all the knowledge you need to teach each other." Romans 15:14.

"Let the message about Christ completely fill your lives, while you use all your wisdom to teach and instruct each other." Colossians 3:16

"Encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." 1 Thessalonians 5:11

"Where the New Testament commands respect for leaders it is based more on their character and active service in the congregation than on their formal position"

When the writer of Hebrews says to the people that they are to "See to it that no one misses the grace of God" (12:15), the verb he uses for "See to it" is the Greek word episkopeo. It is the same word used by Peter when he describes church leaders as "serving as overseers" (1 Peter 5:2). In this sense every Christian may be regarded as a "bishop" or "overseer" (episkope) with responsibility to care for others. Where the New Testament commands respect for leaders it is based more on their character and active service in the congregation than on their formal position (e.g. 1 Thessalonians 5:13; Hebrews 13:7).

Every believer shares in the "fullness" of the deity dwelling in the risen Christ (John 1:16; Colossians 2:9, 10). It is noteworthy, too, that though there were people designated "prophets" in the early church who were highly regarded, the gift of prophecy could be exercised by any member (Acts 2:18; 21:9; 1 Corinthians 14:29-31).

Another very important point, retated to what we have said so far, is the fact that local leadership in the New Testament is always plural or team leadership (e.g. Acts 14:23; 20:17; Philippians 1:1; 1 Peter 5:1; 1 Timothy 5:17; Titus 1:5). Jesus first set the pattern by welding a group of very different followers into a leadership team over two and a half years. I suspect that there are two reasons for this emphasis. Where there is true team leadership there is less temptation for a leader to develop tendencies that will work against true community, such as Peter mentions (1 Peter 5:1-3). Perhaps a more important reason is that a team has the opportunity to model the kind of relationships that should exist in the rest of the fellowship. Martin Luther understood "the priesthood of all believers" in terms of church structure and worship as well as in terms of our relationship with God. Spener, Zinzendorf and Wichern attempted to implement this emphasis in the German-speaking sphere, as have various Free Church groups such as Baptists, Congregationalists, Quakers and Pentecostals, but this insight has not established itself in Protestantism.

Miroslav Volf, following Jurgen Moltmann, sums up a basic principle which applies if we take the symmetrical relationships within the Trinity as our model:

This yields the ecclesial principle that the more a church is characterised by symmetrical and decentralised distribution of power and freely affirmed interaction, the more will it correspond to the trinitarian communion. Relations between charismata [gifts], modelled after the Trinity, are reciprocal and symmetrical; all members of the church have charismata, and all are to engage their charismata for the good of all the others.

Jesus defined once and for all the function of leaders when he declared that though leaders in secular society exercise authority over others (and no doubt this is necessary to hold things together in such society), "It shall not be so among you." Instead, in his community, "whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave," even as he came "not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Matthew 20:25-28). On another occasion, in order to underline his instruction that "If any one would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all," he took a child in his arms and said, "Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me" (Mark 9:33-37). In other words, in serving the most insignificant person, one is serving Christ. As the disciples were so slow to get the message (as most of us are!), he had to repeat it again at the Last Supper (Luke 22:24-27). In his book Community 101, Gilbert Bilezikian, the "resident theologian" of the Willow Creek Community Church, says:

In a community of servants, both leaders and laity must be bent on serving one another with whatever gifts each has received in order to accomplish their shared task. Within this perspective, the distinction between leaders and laity has significance only inasmuch as it facilitates the fulfilment of the corporate mission.

"The distinction between leaders and laity has significance only in as much as it facilitates the fulfilment of the corporate mission"
Gilbert Bilezikian

The one place in the New Testament where there is a strong emphasis on leadership is in Paul's letters to Timothy and Titus. There is good evidence in these letters that the churches were facing serious problems, problems that Paul had possibly forseen some years before, particularly in the case of the churches around Ephesus (Acts 20:29-31). The emphasis here is on the proved character of leaders, their tested ability and their earned respect. Whatever the reason for the emphasis in these letters, it underlines the importance Paul gives to good leadership. It is strong leadership that is able to be vulnerable, to adopt the role of a servant as Jesus did, and to function alongside other leaders in a team. It is weak leadership that has to appeal to their office or position (or canons!).

To sum up the responsibilities given to leaders in the New Testament, I would agree with Bilezikian:

They are the spiritual watchcare and nurture of the church, the equipping of the laity for ministry, and the ministry of intervention in situations of crisis.

The New Testament has a number of images or metaphors to describe the nature of the church, such as the bride of Christ, his body, his flock, his family, his temple, his kingdom and his vineyard. We shall look at these later. However, it is significant that none of these metaphors stands or falls by the inclusion or exclusion of leaders. This is simply not how the Bible thinks about the Church. In other words, the essence of the church does not reside in its leadership. The purpose of the leadership is to encourage the church to function in a way that is true to the implication of these metaphors, which all point to Jesus as its Lord.

Feminists have a point here. According to Letty Russell in Church in the Round, the main task of feminist ecclesiology is to dismantle the model of the church as a "household ruled by a patriarch" and replace it with the model of "a household where everyone gathers around the common table to break bread and share table talk and hospitality." Though this is the New Testament emphasis, the church needs also to be aware of how little sympathy people in today's postmodern world have for top-down organisations. Babyboomers and later generations look to networking as their model for an organisation. Today's culture talks of facilitators and initiators. It has been suggested that the reason President Clinton has been able to stay in office is because he has passed what is called the "beer test". In other words, he is the sort of person of whom an ordinary American could say, "Yes, Clinton is a guy I could sit down and have a beer with." After all, Jesus said that if we invite him, the Supreme Lord, into our lives, he would come in, "and we will eat together" (Revelation 3:20).

A beautiful picture of divine leadership is given us in the last chapter of the Bible. In the centre of the throne is the Lamb, the one whose rule is legitimised by his "wounds" (v. 1). The goal of his rule is not to subject his followers, but that they should "reign for ever and ever" (v. 5). As Miroslav Volf puts it in Exclusion & Embrace:

With the Lamb at the centre of the throne, the distance between the "throne" and the "subjects" has collapsed in the embrace of the triune God.

The ministry of women

It would be inappropriate to leave the question of leadership in the church without declaring my colours on the subject of women in leadership. Though I have always wrestled with what Paul means by "headship" in 1 Corinthians 11:2-11 and Ephesians 5:22-33, and why he said the things he did in 1 Corinthians 14:34-38 and 1 Timothy 2:11-15, I am firmly convinced that the full weight of New Testament emphasis comes down on the side of the full inclusion of women alongside men at all levels of church ministry.

"To say that women are not given gifts of leadership is frankly nonsense"

Gordon Fee, one of today's leading textual scholars, has some useful comments on 1 Corinthians 14:34-38 in his impressive volume God's Empowering Presence: The Holy Spirit in the Letters of Paul. He argues for a corruption of the text. However, the most useful discussion of the whole subject that I have read to date is The New Relatedness for Man and Woman in Christ: A Mirror of the Divine by Danish theologian V. Norskov Olsen. Olsen has been an influential leader in England and the United States and since retirement has been a scholar in Residence in the Faculty of Religion at Loma Linda University. This book discusses the relationship between men and women in the light of relationships within the Trinity. It has a useful discussion on the meaning of headship and very helpful background information on the situation the church was facing in Ephesus and what Paul was getting at in 1 Timothy 2:11-15.

For me, the most convincing argument is the clear emphasis that we are all to develop and use to the full whatever gifts God has chosen to give us, in humble service to one another. This is stated without any limitations imposed, of gender or anything else (Romans 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 12; 1 Peter 4:10-11). To say that women are not given gifts of leadership is frankly nonsense. There are many parts of the world where the church would be impoverished or non-existent if it were not for the gifted ministry of pioneer women missionaries. I have always thought the argument that it is all right for women to lead if men are not available, a particularly hollow one!

In the concluding greetings of Paul's letter to the Romans he mentions the name of many people, Jews and Gentiles, women and men, who were indiscriminately and happily engaged together in ministry, and demonstrating authentic oneness (16:1-16)